Reviews

A super unique brush!

I am super picky on my high end mascaras. I usually only buy them when they are samples that I get in a palette or when I buy them off of Hautelook, On occasion, I will go ahead and splurge on hyped mascaras to see what its about. This time, I was lucky enough to have been sent this precious gem before it was released. I have to admit, I was intrigued by this mascara. It had a flash sale in 6 cities... how can I not be interested in a mascara that the company is hyping like crazy?

Well Benefit, I have to hand it to you... You guys know your mascaras.

There are many aspects of this mascara that makes it stand out among the others so it is hard to decide where to start!

The formula is not too wet and not too dry. It is super black, non clumpy, non smudging AND light weight. I do not have to use a primer for this mascara, it applies well and when it dries, my lashes do not feel brittle or stiff. They feel soft and smooth and it does not weigh down my eyes. Since the formula dries to a flexible finish, my lashes have not been breaking or falling out as much, which is lovely!

Now.. the pink elephant in the room.. the brush. This is an interesting brush. When I first took a peek at it I thought to myself "Holy cow.. that's a lot of brush!" The bristles are rubber and staggered from tall to short and at the tip of the brush, it is domed off with longer rubber "spikes".

It claims that when used horizonally you will achieve length and volume and when used vertically you can curl, define and lift.

To be honest, I curl my lashes before I use mascara.. so I can't confirm the curling claim. I WILL confirm that it makes my lashes look bigger and longer and the formula is amazing! I seriously did not know what they meant by "silky" lashes. I see now, they feel so soft, I can move them and they don't stick to each other when I blink...

I have been using this since I have received it and I can see why this is already sold out! This has become a staple in my make up routine, especially this summer where all I wear is tinted moisturizer and this mascara. I just hope they come back in stock before I run out of mine!!

Flattened my curled lashes, sticky formula, clumping

Since this mascara is called "They're Real!", I assumed it's claiming to give me that false-lash effect. I have used this mascara for about 2 weeks now and I feel that it's just not the mascara for me. I documented two different demonstrations to show how this mascara looked on my lashes curled and uncurled. I also included a demonstration of how I normally wear my lashes.

The brush of this mascara is plastic with rather short teeth, and the tip is a rounded shape with longer teeth. I used the shorter teeth to apply the mascara to my lashes horizontally, then I used the rounded tip to apply the mascara to my bottom lashes and inner/outer corners.

My lashes normally don't like plastic mascara wands (they prefer the traditional bristle wands), and this mascara did not prove to be any different. I find that the wand applies too much mascara to my lashes, making them look spidery and clumping multiple hairs together instead of separating them like it claims to do.
Even after combing out my lashes (which I usually do in my regular lash routine), the formula dried to a sticky consistency which just clogged up my lash comb and made my lashes look even more spidery.

The first demonstration is with my lashes curled:
The first week I was almost embarrassed to be seen with such clumpy lashes, but for reviewing purposes I toughed it out. I also hoped the mascara would begin to work for me a bit more... nope. The formula actually weighed down my lashes and flattened my curl. It did, however, lengthen the lashes quite a bit. The formula seems to dry pretty quick, so by the time I applied my second coat I could feel the product attaching to my lashes and applying more rather than removing what's already there. I think this quality would be perfect for shorter lashes to really extend them.
(sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here)
http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html

The second demonstration is with my lashes uncurled:
I was thinking since the mascara didn't look flattering on my curled lashes - it might work better on uncurled lashes, which it did perform a tiny bit better than the previous week. I still experienced massive clumping, but the mascara performed well and lifting my lashes and creating a slight curled effect. I think this method would be perfect for short lashes that naturally fall or are stubborn straight.
(sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here)
http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html

You might see the above photos and think the lashes look fine. But, I personally want my mascara to separate and enhance each hair while adding some volume and length. I normally use and LOVE Benefit BadGal Lash Mascara, so the last demonstration is to show the quality and performance that I love for my lashes: (sorry, photos are on my blog, I can only attach one photo here)
http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/benefit-theyre-real-mascara.html

My Final Thoughts:
I feel the Benefit They're Real! Mascara is not suitable for longer lashes; the formula is thick, wet and tends to clump, plus you really need to work with it to look as decent as I got them in my photos. On the other hand - if you have short lashes and need more product on them for them to stand out, this mascara might just be up your alley. I did notice this mascara doesn't smudge, melt, or flake all day (tested on many 12hr days). Overall, I won't be switching from my staple Benefit BadGal Lash Mascaras.
I also wanted to add, there are a lot of positive reviews on this mascara as well, so for me personally this mascara just didn't flatter my lashes at all - but if you check out Benefit's Facebook page, there's tons of ladies with before/after photos to show how it boosted their lashes.

*Product(s) were received for trial/review; these are my honest opinions

Gives you silky lashes

First of all, I don't buy high-end mascaras. Ever. I normally wouldn't invest on something that has to be used up within 3 months.

Anyway, this was sent to me by the good people of Beautylish, and I must say, it's very impressive!

The brush itself is very interesting - it's basically made up of rubbery spikes, with a spiky domed tip to catch the shorter lashes. I wiggle the mascara over lashes, because touching up on areas that I've missed out with the tip. I also use to the tip on my lower lashes.

Overall, this is a lovely product. I have typical sparse Asian lashes, so finding a decent mascara can be tricky. This baby, however, is a dream to use. It's not clumpy and it does separate the lashes, leaving them silky. I like how it doesn't dry up too quickly, nor does it flake.

It doesn't volumize as much as I hoped it would though. Didn't see much of a curling effect either, but I highly doubt any mascara can curl your lashes - you'll still need a proper lash curler.

Nice but a little bit too strong

This is probably the most controversial mascara in recent times, from what I’ve read around you either love it or hate it. I am not that extreme, i don’t ‘love’ it but I like it a lot, it does everything it says in the bottle (or the cardboard in this case). With just one layer, it gives you long straight eyelashes and it separates, extends and lifts them immediately. Besides it’s a real black, a real jet black so it highlights the eyelashes perfectly. With a couple of layers and a bit of work is my perfect mascara to wear with black eyeliner and red lips.
Removing it is a bit complicated, you almost need an industrial paint stripper for that, it is true that it stays on all day and doesn’t leave you with those annoying blackish particles around the eyes, but in order to achieve that they had to make this a little bit too strong mascara because even using different eye makeup removers for waterproof mascaras it takes a lot of effort and rubbing, my eyes end with a bit of irritation and the next day when I wake up I still have some remains of it over my eyelids. With that in mind, i wouldn’t recommend it for a daily use , although the effects are really attractive (and addictive, it really looks nice on) but unfortunately I do not think that the health of my eyes would allow that. But i do not deprive myself of wearing it once or twice a week.

There is a new mascara on the block and this one is not to be messed with!

Ok so I have to admit…I am a mascara JUNKIE! I have so many mascara’s that they should make a Hoarders special edition just for me.

Covergirl Lash Blast is one of my all time fav drugstore brands but this new mascara from Benefit is slowly becoming my new department store go-to!

The formula is nice and thick which the drag queen in me ALWAYS loves but I think the REAL trick is in the brush! I have used many a brush but I’ve actually never seen a brush like this. It was specially designed just for this mascara and it’s features are the pro and cons of this product.

I like that there is sparseness in between the hard bristles (I prefer the hard plastic ones better than a fluffy brush). It really helps to pay attention to details and makes the biggest impact when applying the product. The spiked ball topper is GREAT for getting the smaller lashes close to the tearduct.

The only CON of this product is because the brush is sparse it tends to pick up alot of product which may result in clumping. For me it’s not a problem because I want that Tammy Faye Baker FIERCENESS but for those who want a more toned down look I suggest scraping the brush onto the top of the mascara container to prevent overuse of product.

All in all Benefit did a GREAT job with this mascara and I am looking forward to seeing more innovative products from them in the future!

Love it!

I bought this with high expectations and They're Real did NOT disappoint! It lengthens and separates my lashes. I usually have a problem with mascaras looking dry on my lashes throughout the day, but Benefit They're Real mascara gives a kind of "wet" and lush look that I love. I did curl my lashes with an eyelash curler once before applying the mascara, but it has held a curl for hours. It was definitely worth the $22 that I spent on this mascara!

Too much Hype when there are way better Mascaras out there...Sorry but not Sorry

I wouldn't say that I'm writing a bad review on this particular product because don't get me wrong I absolutely love the Benefit Cosmetic Line (They are Amazing!!) but when it came to this product it completely missed the mark for me. Ladies I know everybody has their own opinion and preferences but the way that almost everyone spoke on this mascara and very HIGHLY I might add, I just simply don't get why people were raving about it. It gave me a little bit of length and volume if any but it definitely was not what I expected. I really had high expectations for this product but unfortunately it was a miss in my opinion. Don't hate me dolls :) It wasn't spectacular and it wasn't terrible, it was just okay. Trying to keep it honest :)

I like it, but I dont like it.

As many of you ladies out there, I was sooo excited to hear that this was part of Sephora's beauty insiders birthday gift this year. I couldn't wait to try it out from all the great things I've heard. Well, I don't think it was all it's cracked up to be.
What it does do, is lengthen and separate my lashes amazingly. I don't get too much in the volume department from this, but I usually layer another mascara to add volume. And, I don't get clumps, UNLESS I try to do more than one coat. If I try that, it's instant clump city. I also feel that this mascara makes my lashes feel drier than normal.
I'll continue to work with it until my sample is gone, but I can't see myself paying for a full sized version of this. Wanted to love it, but it's just okay for me.

Best Mascara Ever!!!!!

I love this mascara! I hate my lashes ever since and this mascara changed my life! My lashes looked amazing! Full and long lashes everyday! It does not clump and it does not flake! It's long lasting and very dark! Kind of expensive tho. But definitely my favorite of all time! <3

False eyelashes in a tube!

This mascara is incredible. The brush is slightly course, and you need to give your lashes some tough love if you want to make your peepers look wide and sparkly. I'd recommend curling before, and possibly using your every day mascara first, wiggling at the base, before going the whole hog with this product. (I use Max Factor Masterpiece Max.) This is simply because when looking for the false, wide-eyed effect, you need to layer and quite honestly I wouldn't want to waste a brilliant mascara like this one. Teamed with a slick of black liquid eyeliner your eyes will look amazing.